This invention relates generally to devices for facilitating respiratory therapy, and more particularly, to an arrangement for delivering a continuous dosage of aerosolized drugs to a patient.
Respiratory inhaling devices, such as gas delivery systems which employ nebulizers, have been utilized for treating various respiratory ailments which range from common colds to complex infections of the bronchial system. Such respiratory therapeutic devices are used in the treatment of ailments which afflict adults and children, notwithstanding that the ailments may be curable and are not serious. One significant benefit of the respiratory devices is the minimizing of relatively high levels of discomfort which are associated with most respiratory ailments.
It is now well known that respiratory ailments can be treated by the delivery to the patient of conditioned air. Such conditioning may include with the air a humidifying vapor which will serve to carry a medication deep into the lungs. In addition to moistening of the air, the air may be subjected to heating, and the treated air is then delivered through a therapeutic inhaling device directly to the user, such as by way of a face mask.
Other types of ailments can be treated using inhalation therapy. These ailments include, for example, pulmonary edema, coronary sclerosis, coronary thrombosis, bronchial asthma, pneumonia, and other afflictions. One therapeutic approach to these ailments is the administration of liquid medication to the respiratory tract of patients, whereby the liquid medication is aerosolized in a nebulizer so that the liquid medication can readily be inhaled. There are, however, a variety of problems associated with currently available nebulizer systems. One problem with such nebulizer systems is that they typically are complex and bulky. Respiration assemblies suffering from this deficiency will generally increase the discomfort of the patient.
A further problem with existing nebulizer systems is that the liquid medication will often separate from the carrier gas, which may be air or oxygen. Such a separation results in diminution of the amount of liquid medication, by an indeterminate amount, from that which was prescribed. In addition, the separated medication may be swallowed by the patient, creating the dual disadvantage of diverting medication prescribed to be inhaled and producing a substantial sudden dosage administered to the patient through the alimentary canal.
Recently, the efficacy of drugs having short half-life disappearance from beta receptor sites and peak bronchodilatation in the treatment of severe asthma is becoming evident. Such drugs, which include terbutaline and other aerosolized .beta.2 drugs, require frequent, and preferably continuous nebulization, if they are to be used to maximum advantage. There is a need for a therapeutic respiratory apparatus which is simple and economical and which provides a continuous controlled dosage of an aerosolized medication.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a simple and economical system for delivering aerosolized drugs to a patient.
It is another object of this invention to provide a lightweight system for delivering aerosolized drugs to a patient.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a system for delivering a continuous dosage of aerosolized drugs to a patient.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a safe system for delivering aerosolized drugs to a patient.
It is additionally an object of this invention to provide a disposable system for delivering aerosolized drugs to a patient.
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a system for delivering aerosolized drugs to a patient, which avoids the problems associated with intermittent nebulization.
It is also another object of this invention to provide a compact system for delivering aerosolized drugs to a patient.
It is yet an additional object of this invention to provide a system for delivering aerosolized drugs to a patient, which is easy to assemble, yet effective in performing the drug delivery function.
It is a yet further object of this invention to provide a system for delivering aerosolized .beta..sub.2 adrenergic drugs in a continuous dosage.
It is also a further object of this invention to provide a therapeutic respiratory apparatus which reduces the potential for diverting nebulized medication which is intended to be inhaled, to the alimentary canal.
It is additionally another object of this invention to provide a respiratory apparatus which is comfortable to the user.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a respiratory apparatus which maintains continuously a prescribed dosage of medication administered to a patient.
An additional object of this invention is to provide a respiratory apparatus which provides a visible indication of its functioning.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a respiratory apparatus which can employ any of several commercially available nebulizer devices.